Data quality and collaboration are key to implementing this technology to its fullest

The mortgage process has many friction points that can delay the process. Getting borrowers to the closing table fast is almost always the goal, and with the current market fluctuations, instant title processes are in high demand. Many have found instant title to be an essential tool for not only making the mortgage process faster and more convenient for borrowers but also differentiating their brand in the highly competitive market. Despite its prevalence, aspects of instant title remain unclear to many. In this article, industry experts will debunk five myths and offer their perspectives on making the most of this transformative technology.

Myth 1: The title process hasn’t changed in decades.

Reality: Artificial intelligence, machine learning and continuous improvement of data aggregation processes have fueled revolutionary and evolutionary changes.

“We have seen many changes over the years from a title perspective — from the old days of sending abstractors into the land records office to search records, manuals and books, to the digitization of those land records and our ability today to take all of that data and automate the instant title process,” says Barry Coffin, managing director, origination title and close at ServiceLink. “ServiceLink, a company that’s been around for decades, started looking at automated title during the previous refi boom, when HARP [Home Affordable Refinance Program] was put into place in 2008-2009. Today we offer EXOS® Title, which uses machine learning and cloud-based automation engines to provide instant title in a matter of minutes.”

ServiceLink pioneered an instant title solution that provides record-breaking closing timelines and an unrivaled experience. From a quality perspective, ServiceLink’s instant title offering is no different from standard title, Coffin adds. “You’re getting the same coverage — all of the information needed to meet our underwriters’ compliance guidelines as well as those of the secondary market.”

Lenders and consumers have come to expect quick decisioning, ServiceLink’s Jim Gladden, SVP, origination strategy, points out. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve looked at the title process very much like the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) do with their automated underwriting systems. Originators can grab title information at the point of sale and provide a complexity decision that satisfies the borrower’s desire for speed and more transparency in the process. Instant title has removed barriers to speeding up the process for both home purchases, refis and home equity lending.”

Of course, ensuring you are receiving the highest quality of data is also essential as speed means very little if data quality is subpar. Title companies must have the ability to leverage their historical data, in addition to public records, as part of the data aggregation that informs their instant title decisions. ServiceLink, for example, has access to title plant repository information that has been aggregated over more than 10 years by Fidelity National Financial. This allows more access to title-grade data nationwide and helps to reduce risk. As aggregation methods continue to improve, instant title will continue to evolve.

Myth 2: The settlement provider has no impact on the consumer experience.

Reality: The settlement provider, and the instant title solution they deliver, can have a tremendous impact on the consumer experience.

In many cases, settlement service providers directly represent the lender’s brand as they interact with the borrower throughout the curative and closing process. Technology has improved this process.

Since lenders have incorporated automation into their workflows, the title provider now has all the information and owns communication with that borrower at many steps. For some loans, the vendor has more communication with the borrower than the lender, which makes it important that title vendors take ownership of that communication throughout the transaction.

The instant title solution itself holds the power of improving the consumer experience, too. In addition to providing borrowers with a quick commitment, the right title solution can set their expectations for the timeline and empower them through technology to engage in the process. For example, ServiceLink provides the borrower with the option of scheduling their closing immediately, from their own mobile device, clearing the way to the closing table.

Myth 3: All instant title products are the same.

Reality: Instant title products vary widely. It’s important to compare.

Gladden cautions that instant title products are not the same and that lenders should be strategic in the solution they choose. “Market demand has brought a lot of recent entrants into this space, so it’s key to know whether a potential partner has been through multiple market cycles that would test the rigor or the logic that's behind the decision output and the data that come through in issuing that title insurance commitment,” he advises. “You also need to know how they are aggregating and protecting data, and how available their product is across the country.”

Here are some questions to ask of potential title partners:

• How long have you been offering your instant title product?
• What is your loss or claim experience?
• What are the sources of your data?
• What level of security do you maintain around the public and nonpublic consumer data you aggregate?
• What is the scope of your coverage?

Coffin reinforces the advantages of deep experience and shares his view that the 10-plus years of data available electronically to ServiceLink through Fidelity and other sources is “second to none.” He shares, “Our automation engines can access millions of records of previously insured parcels of land. The end result is standard ALTA title commitments and final policies that meet underwriter and secondary market guidelines and are accepted in all 50 states.”

Myth 4: It’s disruptive to take advantage of the benefits of instant title.

Reality: Collaboration between lenders and title providers facilitates the title process.

Utilizing instant title processes will pave the way for a smoother collaboration process and helps eliminate extra back and forth work on both ends. Given the competitive environment, lenders are focused on reducing the number of days to close. Title vendors should be thinking about how they can support lenders’ goals to close faster. They should strive to do all the documentation, the closing protection letter, the tax certifications and the updated total commitment and provide all of that information in a format that can be ingested into the loan origination system. This speeds up the process and helps lenders shrink timelines.

Gladden explains the chain of activities on the title provider side. “First, we provide, within seconds, a complexity decision that gives the lender an indication of certainty related to the speed of the curative process and then, within minutes, a commitment. We take that commitment and the data around it, as well as the data around the curative pieces of the process and share it with the lender in a format that eliminates their need to retype. This data is available way up front in the process to help streamline, or even eliminate certain portions of, their title review to help them move through their process much faster.”

Myth 5: Instant title means that customer service is no longer important.

Reality: “High tech and high touch have to go hand-in-hand,” explains Gladden.

Given all that happens behind the scenes with instant title, some question whether customer service is still important at this stage in the mortgage process. Coffin cites data taken from the 2025 ServiceLink State of Homebuying Report: “When asked about the biggest benefits of using technology in the mortgage process, 59 percent of respondents noted the convenience and ease of use it provides, 51 percent said time savings, 45 percent said flexibility to make progress on their own schedules, 36 percent said transparency into the process and 31 percent said cost savings.”

Based on that data, it is imperative to involve the title vendors in the lending process. Automation does a lot of the up-front work, but so much still has to happen on the back end to complete every file properly, including bringing the customer into the process where it's necessary. This is why partnering closely with title vendors throughout the entire process is critically important to ensure a smooth process and that nothing is missing.

Learn more about ServiceLink’s title offerings here.

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